Biebe: Waiting for the Freeze
By Atonia
Part 4
Jack Aubrey’s launch rowed back to his ship and he didn’t immediately climb the cliff path to the house; he spent a little time walking over the rocky shoreline trying to gather his thoughts. He was there of course to save his brother’s marriage to Donna, and to explain something to her that no sane individual could possible believe. But then perhaps none of them were sane; the whole thing was outrageous.
Something brought his eye upwards to the edge of the cliff and he smiled; she was there. He turned and climbed the path.
"What are you doing out here and in your nightclothes at that?" He gathered Toni in his arms and kissed her soundly.
"I’ve been watching for you. The others are at breakfast." She looked up into his blue eyes tasting his kiss on her lips.
"And so should you be, my pet. Being with child suits you, you’re blooming."
He put his arm around her and they started for the house, "Maybe it was the sight of you brought bloom to my cheeks." She teased.
"Ah would that it were so, is everyone here?"
"Yes they are, it went well last night, I really like Connie, and Donna too, and I hope she will still like me later today."
"How could she not," he gave her a pat on her bottom as they entered the door to the kitchen.
Max set his cup down, "Jack, good of you to come."
"I don’t believe I had a choice. Connie, how are you dear," he bent and kissed her forehead, "And you are Donna, how lovely you are," he gave her a direct look and kissed her hand.
"John, Terry, good to see you upright."
Terry grinned, "Good to be upright, Jack, how are ya?"
"Very well thank you," he found a chair, "Well then, John?"
"Yes, Jack sorry about this."
"Not at all my brother, not at all, thank you, my pet," he received a cup of coffee from Toni.
Toni watched Donna’s face and smiled to herself, he always had that effect, oh but she had seen him differently and she remembered. "Do you want anything to eat, Jack?" she asked.
"No thank you, I’ve had breakfast aboard ship," he tipped his cup up for a drink, "this promises to be quite a day."
"I thought we might gather in the living room," Toni suggested.
"I should like to talk with Donna alone for awhile, if that meets with everyone’s approval, John?"
"Yeah, Jack, that’s okay with me." At this point John was up for anything.
"Are you feeling well enough this morning, Donna?" Toni asked.
"I’m okay now…I…I don’t know what this is about." She said nervously.
Jack smiled at her, "I shall explain it to you over the course of the day.
After everyone was finished in the kitchen, Toni went up to dress and as she brushed out her hair there was a knock on her door.
"Jack…"
"You are dressed?"
"Yes, come in."
"Connie said you talked a little last night, what exactly did you tell her?"
"I told her about coming here, why I came, but I didn’t say why I stayed, none of that. I really wanted to but I couldn’t."
"Understandable," he walked over to her balcony, "What did you think of Connie?"
"I liked her right away, she’ll be good for Max."
"I think so too, she’s very like you in a way. She fits right in with us and of course she would have to because of the closeness, the bond we share. I did ask Terry if I could come up, he had a rather amused look in his eye when he said yes. He trusts you explicitly."
Toni chuckled, "What did you have in mind when you came up here, Jack?"
"It would make you blush, my pet," he grinned over his shoulder, "actually I wanted to talk to you about Donna. But should you have a momentary lapse?"
"Come and sit with me," she sat on the sofa. "What about Donna?"
"I’m not sure about her, Toni; I hope to be proven wrong today. Give me your opinion of her."
"She’s confused and upset, there have been so many changes in her life since they came out that John couldn’t explain. Not all the people in their town were real, in fact the name of the town is different. She’s experiencing things she can’t understand and John has been little help. He told Terry he couldn’t tell her about me and without that he couldn’t explain the rest of it. It’s been very difficult for him too."
"She loves him enough do you think?"
"Yes I do, she’s known him most of his life, his movie life, but you know that’s all there is. They have shared memories, the birth of their two children, their school days together. She knew his parents and therefore three obscure brothers appear and she’s not believing it, especially since you are all basically the same."
"Are we…the same?"
"No, you aren’t," she met his eyes, "the resemblance is what I meant."
"I know what you meant, all right then I shall take her for a walk and be at my most charming."
"That’s rather formidable," she grinned, "Ah, Jack, I love you."
"And I you," He kissed her softly and stood up. "Have I been up here long enough to give Terry cause to worry?"
"I believe so," she smiled.
"Then I shall go down," he left her room.
Jack set off with Donna toward the pond taking the long way around, "What do you think of the House?"
"I love it, this whole area is so nice and huge too."
"Yes it’s quite extensive, and the magic of the house, have you experienced any of that?"
"Meals, I see it so I have to believe it and it’s a good feeling I have here."
"That means the house loves you, Donna, as it loves all of us. Toni told you how she came to be here did she not?"
"She rented it off the internet and ended up owning it after a year."
"But she did not tell you what happened during that year or that she stayed for six years did she?"
"No."
"She of course had no idea when she came here that with each season she would have a different companion. This was explained to her by the guide, Andy. He would be someone she chose or the House would choose for her. That’s what the House of Four Seasons is, four seasons of love. She could choose anyone she wanted to, real or unreal. There was a stack of DVD’s in her room and she had watched several I believe, but one stayed with her and that was the beginning. The name of the movie was Mystery Alaska and the companion she chose for winter was John Biebe."
"But that’s not possible," she had a wild confused look about her.
Jack took her hand, "We are talking about magic, Donna and it was possible. It had nothing to do with you or your life with John, in fact you never even knew he was gone did you?"
"No, he didn’t leave."
"But he was here from just before Thanksgiving until the end of February. I know you don’t understand it, but in effect your world stopped and resumed when he returned. Mystery Alaska is a movie, Donna and you were part of that. You aren’t part of it now that’s why things have changed for you. You and John and your children are out of the movie into real life."
She pulled away from him and wrapped her arms around herself walking a few steps ahead. She remembered what Toni had said the night before about what had happened here had nothing to do with her and John in Alaska. "What happened here with John?"
Jack walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "They fell in love with each other, rather seriously in love, but at that time the rules of magic were that when he left here he would have no memory of her should he ever return. He was only allowed to come for three months and not a day longer. The day he left she was beside herself. I was contacted by the previous owner to come and sort her out. You see this house has existed for a long time, she was not the first one to come here, and in fact John had been here before with someone else, but he of course does not remember who it was. I found her in quite a state and ready to leave."
"John and Toni were lovers." She said in a monotone.
"Yes they were, and it was because of her love for him that we are all here today. He was the first season. Do not zero in on that particular thing, Donna. As she told you last night, it had no effect on you and John and your movie life." He turned her around. "I said movie life, I want you to watch that movie today and there are a few more you should watch so that you will understand where we all came from. I too am a movie, so is Max and Terry."
"But not Toni?"
"No, not Toni, in the end she had to have four seasons, four companions. She chose Max for summer and he remained her summer. There were a few others that did not become eternal. Then came Terry for fall and at last I was spring. She had four loves, Donna, and she could not have one without the other. They each had to be strong and to represent the four elements so that she would be balanced. It’s the way of the magic here. There were some changes to the magic rules because of a disastrous spring, not me by the way, but someone else. She changed the magic and when she did she was able to have the same seasons back each year. She did it for John."
"Oh my God," Donna began to cry and Jack folded her in his arms. He wondered if indeed she had heard anything other than John and Toni were lovers.
After a little bit Donna wiped her eyes, "I’d like to watch those movies, Jack."
"And so you shall, let us go back to the House; all the bedrooms have a TV and so does the library. Wherever you would be most comfortable. We are all closely bound together here and will be forever; you are part of this, Donna." He put his arm around her as they walked back to the house.
She chose the watch the movies in John’s room and surprising Jack, she left Mystery for last. She watched his first and he was in and out of the room not liking to watch himself on screen, besides he knew the story.
A tray of drinks and a bucket of ice appeared on the bedside table and she helped herself. Next she watched Terry’s movie, and he came in and sat on the bed with her for a little while.
"Terry, were you sad that Alice wasn’t real?" she was beginning to understand a little about them.
"No, in fact I was glad she wasn’t. That was not a very professional thing for me to have done."
"Are you still in that business?"
"K&R? Yeah but I’m not out in the field now. Toni won’t let me."
"Wise woman, you almost got yourself blown away. Why was it you that she married and not John?"
"We all married her, but after that she found out there would come a day when she had to chose one above the other and take him out into reality, out of this place into the real world. I helped prepare her for that, and I’ll tell you I worked it every way I could think of to make sure it was me she chose. I love her more than life Donna. I think I had it in the bag at the end of my season, and John knew when he came that it wasn’t going to be him. She also reminded him that if he chose her he would not be going back to his movie life where he had you and his children. That did for John and he left the day after he came."
"She could have taken any of you out then."
"Yeah, but Max was the only one I was really worried about. John took himself out and then Jack did too so that left Max, and I knew there was a strong love there. Fortunately Max blew it."
"What if he hadn’t?"
"Then I don’t know, toss a coin I guess. Really though, we’ve got something together that she didn’t have with the others. I knew it then and I still do."
"But doesn’t it bother you knowing she’s been with your brothers, I mean how can you deal with that?"
"It was the way it had to be, none of us could change it. I don’t know now, maybe it makes us all closer. That paring off doesn’t happen anymore, she is my wife by choice. Just like you’re John’s wife by choice. He did choose you when he left so abruptly. Think about that." Terry patted her hand and left the room.
Donna quietly watched the last part of Terry’s movie. She liked Terry and Jack, especially Terry. She got up and inserted Max’s movie and when she got back on the bed she noticed a plate of sandwiches had appeared and looked at her watch, it was after two o’clock but it was okay; this is what she wanted to do, get to know them and where they’d come from, and perhaps why Toni had chosen them.
Max came in during the scene with his friend Charlie at the restaurant, he brought Donna a brownie.
"Oh chocolate, thanks."
"I know the way to a woman’s heart."
"If this was you, you aren’t there yet," she indicated the screen.
"I get better, I’m a changed man at the end. One of the things I didn’t find out in reality was my friend Charlie. I’m afraid I was friendless and out on the streets so to speak."
Donna made a face at him and ate her sandwich. Max sat quietly beside her leaning against the headboard.
"Now this gets good, the chateau was real and I found Duflot and his wife."
"But you were so bad, Max."
"I’m not really," he cocked a brow at her. "I’m really rather nice," he reached around her for a sandwich.
"They didn’t feed you downstairs?"
"Ummpf yes," he said around a mouthful of ham sandwich.
"Oh," she laughed when he fell in the pool.
"You think that was funny? Imagine how filthy and battered and bruised I was."
"But kinda cute." She managed.
Later on, "There was no Fannie either and the bistro wasn’t there. That was…sad."
"I’ll bet it was, you had no one did you?"
"No, and I knew Toni was lost to me. But then I met Connie, and I think that’s going to work out for us. Things are looking up." He smiled.
"Were you very upset when she didn’t chose you?"
"I was devastated. I won’t lie to you. I still don’t think it was handled very well by all concerned. I know I didn’t come through for her when I needed to. I think I could have won if I knew it was coming, but I had no idea she’d decided to take someone out that year. She’d decided in fall after I’d left her with Terry."
"You don’t think she loves him like that I mean enough to take him out, to marry him?"
"I know she does and I know what he feels for her, but I also know without a doubt in that split second that I blew it; it could very easily have gone the other way. We’re that close, Donna."
"You still love her don’t you."
"I always will, that will never change, but that doesn’t take away from what I feel for Connie. It’s early days yet but I think something strong will develop between us. You’re very lucky you already have that with John. Now watch this part, see how sweet I am."
Donna smiled at him and watched the next scene. She could see what Toni saw in him, little boy lost but a sexy little boy. He got up a little later brushing crumbs off the bed and grinning.
"You’ll love me in the end."
"I don’t doubt it." She smiled as he left the room.
When the movie finished she rolled over on her stomach and thought about them all. She had been upset about John, but now she knew when he was here it wasn’t part of their life. She tried to imagine Toni with her seasons, it must have been something she thought. Dashing charismatic Jack must have swept her clean off her feet, Terry with his quiet subtle presence she thought might hide something; else he was sexy. Max cute and sexy and then John, John she knew well and could understand any woman falling in love with him.
She looked at the cover to Mystery Alaska, she knew that story, had lived it
and she didn’t need to watch it. What she did need right now was John, and she
was wishing he’d come up.
"Do I need to throw my hat in first?" he asked peeking around the door.
"I was just wishing you’d come up, no, John no hat needed."
John came in and lay down beside her, "Am I forgiven for not telling you? I couldn’t."
"I forgive you, and I understand why you couldn’t. I know why things are different now and you know what, I’m glad we’re not locked into the same old thing all the time."
"Something else we’re not locked into too, we don’t have to live in Alaska. I know the only reason you stayed there was because of me. It’s a nowhere town going nowhere; I’m ready for something else. You know, I’ve been around a little and I’d like to talk to you about moving."
"Where to?"
"I dunno, somewhere maybe around here or up the coast. We could sell our place and I’ve still got magic money to spend; we could swing it, Donna. I can find some kind of a job, I know I can."
"Before the freeze sets in and we can’t get out, oh I’d love it, John."
John smiled, "And I love you." He rolled her on top of him, "we won’t be waiting around for the freeze this year, we got a week’s worth of baby sitter let’s make use of it and find a place we could live."
"Umm," she kissed him and kissed him again.
"Donna, close the door." He whispered in her ear.
TBC